Switzerland's Identity Card: A world pioneer
In 1995, Switzerland launched a new generation of identity card. It was in fact the worldwide very first identity card made of polycarbonate​. Trüb, now part of Gemalto, developed this significant innovation in close cooperation with the Swiss Government and provided also the design of the card​.
The Swiss identity card comprises a variety of built-in optical and physical security features, amongst others, a security element with an optically variable printed image engineering in Switzerland by the company.
The launch of the Swiss identity card in 1995 represented a milestone for the secure document market. Along with Finland, Singapore and Sweden, Switzerland proved that polycarbonate is the most suitable material for identity documents with its exceptional optical and physical properties.
Today, polycarbonate has won the trust of governments across the world. Over 40 countries have chosen it for their national identity or residence permit programs and close to 30 national passport programs are using it. In Europe, all member states of the European Union made the switch to a polycarbonate credit-card format driving license in 2013.
What sets polycarbonate apart from other materials?
What sets it apart from other materials is the non-delaminable property of a full polycarbonate document. When used in pure form, laminated under heat and pressure, and not mixed with other plastics, the different layers of polycarbonate that make up the identity document fuse together to form a solid monolithic structure.
All security features, including irreversible laser-engraved personalization information, are safely located and protected within the genuine polycarbonate document. This is referred to as the one-block concept.
Polycarbonate is unique in supporting highly fraud-resistant level-one security features; that is to say those visible to the naked eye. These features, which are easily authenticated by the relevant authorities, include tactile surface elements, changeable or multiple laser images (CLIs or MLIs), windows and irreversible laser-engraved personalization and now color portraits.
Moreover, polycarbonate's durability allows for the production of identity documents with a guaranteed lifespan of ten years. Polycarbonate documents are available without chip module or with contact based, contactless or dual interface.
Recent innovations, such as color laser-printing as well as enhanced visual and tactile effects, are giving additional opportunities to government authorities and national printers to seriously consider this enhanced polycarbonate environment for their document projects.
The 2 experts are joining forces​
As pioneers in polycarbonate technology, Gemalto and Trüb are now joining forces to offer unparalleled experience and expert knowledge in this area. Polycarbonate documents from Gemalto and Trüb such as the Swiss identity document, Finnish DL and eID or Swedish ePassport and Estonian eID, to name a few, are widely recognized to be leading in terms of quality and security.